“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.” Rejoice, because we Christians know to whom we should turn for true joy. St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians gives us a crash course in our preparation for Christmas. He was sitting in prison somewhere when he wrote this letter. Even amidst the filth of prisons at that time, Paul was filled with a special joy, which flowed from him as he encouraged the Jewish people and converts not to have any anxiety at all amidst their extreme suffering. Both the first and second readings (plus the Psalm) ask us to rejoice. That means it is possible to rejoice when times are difficult.

A Season of Hope and Joy Dec 16, 2018 By Fr. Harry Brown, C.PP.S. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.” Rejoice, because we Christians know to whom we should turn for true joy. St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians gives us a crash course in our preparation for Christmas. He was...

Congratulations to Brother Juan Acuña, C.PP.S., who last week became a citizen of the United States, after 11 years of ministering here. Brother Juan, who lives in Chicago, was born in Santiago, Chile. He currently heads up our new creation commission, which is exploring new ways the Missionaries can bring Precious Blood spirituality to the world today. Brother Juan explained his decision to pursue citizenship: "After 11 years living in the U.S. I decided to become a citizen to fully participate in the life of the country I now call home.

"Democracy has always been very important for me. My experience growing up during a dictatorship that lasted 17 years in Chile taught me how valuable Democracy is for the future of a nation and how fragile it can be if it is taken for granted.

"I believe that my voice as an immigrant needs to be heard in this moment and I want to contribute to continue making this nation the land of opportunities for the tired and the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Fr. Robert Conway, C.PP.S., 93, died on December 8, 2018, in the infirmary at St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio, where he made his home. He had been in failing health. Fr. Conway was born on September 19, 1925, in Detroit, to Harold and Marie (Oberle) Conway. He later moved with his family to R...

The annual celebration of the Feast of Christ the King often has a triumphal ring to it. Jesus is given dominion and kingship by the Father because the Lord “loves us and frees us from our sins by his blood.” This year’s celebration, however, is muted by scandals...

A Thanksgiving message from our Provincial Director Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, C.PP.S. There’s no day when we aren’t relying on God’s compassion and guidance, though sometimes we may be convinced we’re operating under our own head of steam. Then there are days when we are all...

It can be hard to face end-of-life issues: hard for the person who is thinking about his or her own, and hard for their loved ones to face the prospect. But it’s better to have these discussions in advance, so that one’s wishes are known, according to Fr. Tom Welk,...

In honor of National Vocation Awareness Week, we’re sharing the stories of some of our Missionaries’ vocational call. When Fr. Ken Schroeder, C.PP.S., talks about the qualities of a good priest, he has a specific quality in mind. “I look for a strong kid. I sort of...